


Something to Hold Onto

by milordahsokatano



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: big sad, post episode 4
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:08:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28481445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/milordahsokatano/pseuds/milordahsokatano
Summary: REPOST FROM ANONYMOUS COLLECTION BY AUTHORLuke finds out more about Anakin Skywalker from a certain Clone Captain.
Relationships: CT-7567 | Rex & Luke Skywalker
Kudos: 27





	Something to Hold Onto

**Author's Note:**

> NOTE: I recently posted this anonymously in the collection, but decided that I would be writing more for Star Wars and posted it under this account. I have deleted the anonymous work. - milordahsokatano
> 
> Hello!
> 
> This is my first fic for the Star Wars fandom. I just recently finished both Clone Wars and Rebels and I have all of the emotions right now. Anakin Skywalker just makes me sad. 
> 
> Title comes from the Wailin Jennys song “Something to Hold Onto.”
> 
> Thanks for reading, and please leave a comment if you enjoyed it! I am really wanting to write more for the Star Wars fandom!

Luke felt entirely unworthy to be swinging this lightsaber around. Obi-Wan had given it to him, because it was his fathers, but it felt… wrong in his hands. Whenever he held it, something tugged at him, but he wasn’t quite sure what it was.

He swung it again, trying to keep the fake blasters away from him, but one snuck by and grazed his shoulder. It stung, just slightly, and he shut it off with a frustrated sigh.

“You can do it.”

Luke looked up, and found one of the older Rebel soldiers observing him. He had a full white beard, no hair, and a small scar on his right temple. “What?” Luke asked.

The old man pointed to his lightsaber. “You can do it.”

Luke examined the lightsaber in his hand. “I don’t feel like I am capable of wielding this.”

The old man moved over to him. “From what I understand, you are the most worthy of using this saber.” He stuck out his hand. “I’m Rex. You’re Luke?”

Luke shook his hand. “Luke Skywalker.”

Rex smiled at him as he spoke. “It’s been a while since I fought with a Skywalker.”

“You knew my father?”

Rex laughed. “Oh, too well, I think. He was my general. I was the captain of the 501st legion in the Clone Wars.”

Luke exhaled sharply. Here was another person who knew his father. Obi-Wan had hardly said anything about him, just that they had been friends and fought together in the Wars.

“Rex?” Luke hedged. “Can I ask you... what he was like?”

Rex grinned and sat down with Luke. He passed him a bottle of water before speaking. “He was a little shit, that’s for sure.”

Luke spat out the water he was drinking. “Come again?”

“Your father hardly listened to anyone,” Rex continued. “Whatever the Jedi council said, Anakin would find his own way to do it.”

“Why?”

“Who knows. To prove himself? To maintain his individuality? But he almost never lost a battle. He was brilliant.”

A strange feeling of calm came over Luke. “When did you first meet him?” He had so many questions.

Rex thought for a moment. “On Geonosis, I believe. The Battle of Christophsis. It’s where he first met his Padawan as well.”

“He had a Padawan?”

“Oh yes. And she was quite the Jedi.” A faraway look appeared in Rex’s eyes. “Ahsoka seemed to be the only person Anakin would tolerate arguing with him. Other than Obi-Wan, of course. It drove Master Kenobi crazy.”

Luke chuckled, picturing the old man he knew as Obi-Wan arguing with someone else. He himself could hardly get a word in edgewise with the Jedi master, so the fact that his father could go head-to-head with Obi-Wan impressed him.

It was silent for a moment, and then Rex let out a laugh. “What?” Luke asked.

“Just thinking about the first time I went into battle him and Ahsoka,” said Rex. He laughed. “They threw me off of a bridge.”

“What?”

Rex shrugged, a smile tugging at his lips. “We needed to get off fast. A bunch of Geonosian’s and Separatist droids were blasting at us and the only way off was down. Instead of allowing me to jump, the used the Force and threw me off. They caught me at the bottom.”

Luke could hardly believe it. “They caught you? Just like that?”

“Well, it was mainly Anakin. He had a way with the Force like no other.”

Luke huffed. “It’s apparent that I won’t inherit that.”

Rex made a face at him. “You’ve been practicing for what, a year? Your father started training when he was nine. He became a Knight when the was twenty. It took him that long to become as powerful as he was.”

“Why so old? I thought Jedi were taken to the temple to be trained at a very young age.”

“I’m not entirely sure, to be honest. I only met him when he was Obi-Wan’s Padawan.” Rex looked him in the eye. “You need to be patient with yourself. It took Anakin a long time to learn that too.”

Luke looked down at his hands. He was grateful for the callouses from working on the farm on Tattooine. The hilt of the lightsaber was heavy and was made for hands much bigger than his own.

“Here.” Rex dug around in his jacket pocket and pulled out a holo-emitter. “I think you’ll like this.” He placed it in Luke’s hands and sat back expectantly.

Slowly, Luke activated the holo-emitter and up popped a picture of an interesting crew of people. He recognized Obi-Wan immediately, who was much younger in this picture. Standing beside Obi-Wan were two identical men, both wearing Clone armour, one with yellow accents and the other with blue.

“That’s me.” Rex pointed to the one in blue. He had short blond hair and no beard, and his expression was intense. But Luke could still see the joy in his eyes.

On the other side of Obi-Wan were two Jedi. One was a Togruta, and a very young one by the size of her montrals. She had a big smile on her face, and was looking up at the man on the very edge of the image. He was grinning back at her, pride clear in his eyes. With a pang, Luke realized that this must be his father.

“This was taken after Onderon was liberated from Separatist control.” Rex explained. “Ahsoka had just succeeded being left in charge of the rebels there.” Rex paused. “Have you ever seen a picture of your father?”

Luke shook his head. “He’s… taller than I expected.”

Rex barked out a laugh. “Anakin was quite tall. It took him forever to get rid of his two left feet.”

Luke hit the button, and another image popped up. This one was another one of Ahsoka and Anakin, as well as another woman. They were all standing in a row, but Ahsoka was the only one looking towards the camera. Even though they were facing forwards, both Anakin and the other woman were glancing at each other, as though it was a secret.

“Rex, who is that?”

“That is Senator Padme Amidala of Naboo.” Rex leaned back on his hands. His expression darkened slightly. “I believe she’s your mother.”

A sinking feeling went through Luke’s stomach. “Does anybody know for sure?”

“I imagine Obi-Wan did. Other than that… no.”

It was suddenly too much for Luke. Here was (most likely) both his mother and his father. He turned the holo-emitter off and handed it back to Rex. “Thanks,” he muttered.

It was silent for a moment. “Luke,” Rex began. “You have been thrown into a war that you did not believe you had any part in. It is only natural that you are still figuring things out. You have heard from so many people about what your father did during the Clone Wars.” He leaned forward and place a hand on Luke’s shoulder. “I’m here to tell you that he also struggled. He did lose sometimes. He got upset, he made some bad decisions and allowed his emotions to rule him, but he grew from them. He cared deeply.” Rex swallowed heavily. “Sometimes too much.”

There was nothing that Luke could say. He had not been expecting anything like this.

Rex stood up and brushed the dirt off of his pants. “I did not know that Anakin had a family, but I know that he still loved you so much. It probably killed him, all of that secret love.”

A tear fell from his eye, but Rex had already turned and begun walking away. Swallowing heavily, Luke looked back at the lightsaber in his hands. Somehow, it wasn’t as heavy as it was before.


End file.
